For the next film to review, one of the well-known classics has been selected. The Sting is considered one of the best caper films of all time. The theme of con artistry and grifts provides a suspenseful form of entertainment. Most rating and voting systems place this movie near the top of nearly any list.

Now over 50 years old, this film has aged well -- something not every story from the 1970s can say. Perhaps this is partly due to the the “double-retro” of the setting set nearly 50 years before its release. It definitely plays on our cultural memory of gangster-controlled Chicago of that genre, but it also slips in a perky exuberance that distinguishes it from the others. Another factor for its ageless success has to be the variable of the high-caliber cast.

To be fair, by the ending of the film one must suspend reality a bit because what occurs is not really believable; however, part of the charm about The Sting is by this point one has already been hooked by the unexpected mix of playfulness with gritty violence. George Roy Hill had mastered this combination and lured his audiences into verisimilitude of things unlikely, just as he did in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Lastly, it would be remiss not to mention the music that truly transports the viewer to the period. The Entertainer is a classic piano rag, but it was reworked by Marvin Hamlisch. This adaptation was so popular that it reached number 3 on the Billboard pop chart of radio play. For a wordless piano song to connect with the audiences of 1973 is just one more example of how all the details of the film delivered for this period piece.

SYNOPSIS (Spoilers)

The plot focuses on Johnny Hooker, a reckless grifter from Illinois who finds himself in trouble after he and his hustling partner, Luther, swindle eleven grand from some poor sap. However, this mark turns out to be a numbers runner for a powerful mob boss named Doyle Lonnegan. Enter William Snyder, a police detective on Lonnegan's payroll, demanding Hooker pay back what he stole. Hooker pays the debt, but to make the situation worse, the repayment was made in counterfeit bills. Lonnegan sends his goons, who kill Luther, which causes Hooker to flee to Chicago.

Once in Chicago, Hooker seeks out Henry Gondorff, one of Luther’s oldest friends. Gondorff is also a big-time conman. Hooker convinces the conman to help him pull an amazing heist against Lonnegan. One of the best quotes of the movie happens at this point. Hooker asks, “Can you get a mob together?” to which Gondorff replies, “After what happened to Luther, I don't think I can get more than two, three hundred guys.”

The rest is how the big con is pulled off. There is a lot of stuff here as pulling one over on a wise guy like Lonnegan proves to have its challenges and consequences. The method and reveal is highly entertaining, well written and well acted. All in all, this movie is a classic for a reason.

Dj Hackney, the Unqualified Film Critic
Reviewed on December 5, 2024